Exploring pelvic floor muscle function in men with and without pelvic floor symptoms: A population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pelvic floor symptoms (PFS), such as lower urinary tract symptoms, defecation disorders, sexual problems, and genital-pelvic pain, are prevalent in men. Thorough physical assessments of the external anal sphincter (EAS) and the puborectal muscle (PRM) are the keys to unraveling the role of muscle dysfunction.

Objectives

To explore associations within and between the EAS and PRM and between muscle (dys-) function and the number of male PFS.

Methods

This cross-sectional study purposively enrolled men aged ≥21 years with 0-4 symptoms from a larger study. After extensive external and internal digital pelvic floor assessment, we explored (1) agreement between muscle function of the EAS versus PRM (using cross tabulation), (2) associations within and between the

SUBMITTER: Notenboom-Nas FJM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9795878 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature